Is Mach Immune

[daisydog]

Hello,

I have been shopping around for a controller to retrofit my 10 year old Multicam. I have looked at Wincnc, Camsoft and Flashcut as well as Mach using a cnc4pc breakoutboard.

The Camsoft rep told me that both the Wincnc and Mach are unstable and suseptible to windows glitches that could result in machine crashes. Is there any fact to this.

Why do Flashcut and Camsoft think they are imune to windows glitches they both use windows and breakout boards?

Mach looks like the best bang for the buck.

What is the best control and breakout board to use with Mach for a 4axis router with steppers, limit switches, spindle vfd w/speed control, tool touch pad and mpg pendant?

Thanks,

Joe Ddog

[pescado_loco]

Hey ddog,
If Windows is running in the background, it can mess up any software. The trick is getting all the stuff Windows does on it's own shut down. My friend Russ swears by Mach. I like it but my SS came with WinCNC so I use it. I just built the electronics for his Camaster. We used a CandCNC BOB, Gecko's, Antek power supply & Mach. Russ is very happy with the setup. Tom @ CandCNC has always been very helpful to me. For my money, he has a great package with all the bells & whistles. He also includes support files for Mach that make getting the hardware & software package running a lot easier. I spent two years studying everything I could find on DIY cnc & it's not simple. You have to lay the groundwork & apply it to get things running right. Even then the goblins can bite you. Good luck!

[Randall]

I have been running mach for a while and its been rock solid. Also get the the newfangled wizards with it ,. great combo.
Randy

[mc-motorsports]

Originally Posted by daisydog The Camsoft rep told me that both the Wincnc and Mach are unstable and suseptible to windows glitches that could result in machine crashes. Is there any fact to this.

And again, the answer is yes, but I'll go a little further and explain that I've been using Mach for years with absolutley no problem(I ballmill aluminum up to 100ipm no problem, would go faster but limited by spindle speed), and the CamSoft salesman is using "the windows virus" as a sales ploy.

Only thing you have to do is use a dedicated computer, disable all internet connections so it's not trying to connect for updates and such, shut down automatic updates, automatic time settings and updates, turn off the fancy graphics, disable the sounds and Mach will do the rest.

I've never had a problem, but yes, it's possible. I'm not knoledgable enough to go into great detail, but Windows can be running 40 programs at one time and can put one on hold to let another do what it thinks it needs to do. If your using XP or Vista, push CNTRL, ALT, DELETE and look at the processes tab and see how many programs are "running in the background".

Windows is not a "REAL TIME" OS, but I'm pretty sure EMC2 is, it runs under Linux? I think? Ask the salesman about that, see what he says. I think EMC2 is still free? But I love Mach, if I had a touch screen, I would love it even more.

MC

[Randall]

I run mach with antivirus and internet connection and Yes still stable. People on the mach group are helpful and so are the mach support group. I actually liked the reference to EMC. I looked at the cost of wincnc and thought it was hi but looks like it has some hardware in it. Also with mach3 you can use smooth stepper and from gecko the g100 if you dont want to use parralell port.
Randy

[jldavidian]

I have been running WinCNC on a Practical CNC Router without problems under Windows. That's with a dedicated computer that's not connected to the internet. WinCNC has a hardware board that isolates it and does the curve smoothing. Then is fed to Geckos. A bit pricey for the board and software, but very stable. Jim

[daisydog]

Thanks for the reply Jim. When you say hardware board are you speaking of the mother and daughter board in the computer or the red interface board that Win sells as an add on. Is the mother and daughter board basically a breakout board?

Thanks,

Joe

[cheetahcnc]

In your quest for CNC, be wary of the sales pitch which warns you of the negatives of other products, and not their positives. All the other guys negatives does not yours a positive make.

Windows runs much better as Windows without all the backgound processes running (definitely turn off the screen saver), but as a CNC controller is is essential these are not running. Some packages (like DeskCNC) use a software + controller board. The controller board connects from an RS-232 port to the PC, to process movement. A built in buffer shields some of the glitches windows may present. The drives connect to the controller board. A break out board can also be connected to the controller board, to ease the wiring transition. Other softwares (like MACH) are a software controller which connects (usually via the parallel port - you've never had a printer/port problem have you?) to a breakout board which the motor drives connect to. There is no buffer in this setup. Camsoft is probably referring to this more fragile system.

[jldavidian]

Originally Posted by daisydog Thanks for the reply Jim. When you say hardware board are you speaking of the mother and daughter board in the computer or the red interface board that Win sells as an add on. Is the mother and daughter board basically a breakout board? Thanks, Joe

Joe, there is a PCI board and daughterboard together in a PCI slot in the computer. This is wired to a PracticalCNC controller box that is basically a BOB with 3 Geckos. I believe the PCI board is both isolation to the computer, and a translation board that smooths curves with lookahead. At least that's what PracCNC implies in their literature. I do not have a red board. Maybe that's a replacement for the PracCNC box?

[Al_The_Man]

Typically the difference is that in through the parallel port systems etc, the front end software and processing is done all in software, the step/dir commands are then sent to the drives for positioning, whether steppers or servo's there is no feedback to the controller.
System such as Camsoft use a Galil or other Motion Control Card, the operator front end software is still done in Windows but the commands are passed over to the motion card and any feedback such as encoders come back to the card, this enables features like electronic gearing/slaving one encoder off another, or electronic Cam functions.
The card has its own processor and firmware on board.
Technically, you can download a whole program to the card and run it, as long as the card has power, it no longer cares what is happening to Windows.
Al.